Ebony Obsidian | |
|---|---|
 Obsidian in 2024 | |
| Born | April 16, 1994 [1] New Paltz, New York, U.S |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2014–present |
Ebony Obsidian (born April 16, 1994) is an American actress. She had a supporting role in the 2018 drama film If Beale Street Could Talk and the following year began starring as Karen Mott in the BET comedy-drama series, Sistas . In 2024, Obsidian played Lena Derriecott Bell King in the war drama film, The Six Triple Eight .
Obsidian was born and raised in New Paltz, New York. She is of Eritrean descent. [2] She began performing in her childhood but never really saw it as a career. [3] She later went into college for journalism. Obsidian left the college while working on three jobs for acting and trained at the William Esper Studio. [3] [4] While studying, she began acting appearing in the independent films, including The Vixens and Where Hearts Lie opposite Malik Yoba and Clifton Powell, as well made uncredited appearance in the superhero film, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 . [5]
In 2015, Obsidian starred in Tough Love , a web series that aired on YouTube. [6] The series started as a micro budget project that eventually attracted more than 45,000 unique viewers with over 1 million channel views. In 2017 she made guest-starring appearance in an episode of Netflix comedy-drama series, Master of None . In 2018, Obsidian co-starred in the drama film If Beale Street Could Talk , playing Adrienne Hunt, one of two sisters of lead character Alonzo "Fonny" Hunt. [7] [8]
In 2019, Obsidian was cast in the Hulu biographical drama series, Wu-Tang: An American Saga playing Nia. [9] [10] The series ended in 2023 after three seasons. Later in 2019, she began starring as Karen Mott, one of lead characters, in the BET comedy-drama series, Sistas by Tyler Perry. [11] [12] [13] In 2020, she had a recurring role as Carol Hawthorne in the Amazon drama series Hunters during the show' first season. [14]
In 2023, Obsidian was cast opposite Kerry Washington, Susan Sarandon and Oprah Winfrey in the war drama film, The Six Triple Eight . [15] [16] The Six Triple Eight was released in select cinemas on December 6, 2024, before its streaming debut by Netflix on December 20, 2024. She played the role of Lena Derriecott King, a member of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the only all-Black, all-female unit to serve overseas during World War II who also was one of the Battalion's last five surviving members. [17] Obsidian received positive reviews from critics for her performance. [18] [19] [20] Ian Thomas wrote in review for website Black History Month : "Ebony Obsidian shines as Lena Derriecott King, a battalion member whose personal journey reflects the broader struggles and triumphs of the unit." [21] At the 56th NAACP Image Awards, Obsidian received nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture and Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture for playing Lena Derriecott King. [22] [23]
Obsidian is Ambassador of International Rescue Committee organization. In 2023 she visited South Sudan where she witnessed the country’s mounting humanitarian needs and the impacts of the climate crisis. [24]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–18 | Tough Love | Alicia Davis | Series regular, 18 episodes |
| 2016 | I Am Homicide | Juanita | Episode: "Serial Shooter" |
| 2017 | Master of None | Michelle | Episode: "Thanksgiving" |
| 2019–23 | Wu-Tang: An American Saga | Nia | Recurring role, 12 episodes |
| 2019–present | Sistas | Karen Mott | Series regular |
| 2020 | Hunters | Carol Lockhart | Recurring role, 6 episodes |
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Lena Derriecott Bell King was a member of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the only all-Black, all-female unit to serve overseas during World War II. Known as the "Six Triple Eight", this battalion played a critical role in maintaining morale for U.S. troops in Europe by clearing a massive backlog of undelivered mail. In 2022, the Congressional Gold Medal was awarded to the 6888th in recognition of its members' contributions. King was one of the Battalion's last five surviving members.
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